List Lodgement One

[mordja 187]

MELBOURNE has elevated midfielder Jordie McKenzie and ruckman Jake Spencer to its primary list, but has delisted big man Paul Johnson and defender Tom McNamara.

The Demons confirmed their list departures on Friday, given it was the deadline for the first list lodgment.

Versatile big man Michael Newton has been retained as a rookie.

But rookies Danny Hughes, Rhys Healey and John Meesen have been delisted.

Melbourne makes list changes

[NC MFC 0]

Little bit sad about PJ I thought he started to come good at the end of the year

[Harcourt 146]

Little bit sad about PJ I thought he started to come good at the end of the year

Not so sure about that - very frustrating to watch imo.

[mordja 187]

Tom Mc sort of surprised me, I thought he showed enough for Casey that he could develop as depth in the backline.

Suppose it just goes to show that we are becoming more ruthless. IMO - The rest were pretty much expected.

So ....does someone pick up PJ?

[beelzebub 23,390]

Well done MFC . Good use of the broom . Juice hangs on by skin of his teeth!!! Wake up ffs son !!!

Roll on draft. Good luck to those departing but it had to be done. Thanks for the efforts.

[Nasher 33,617]

Wasn't sure which way the club would go with Newton, but the rest were no brainers for me.

[Sir Why You Little 37,296]

In years past we would have kept PJ on the list, because there was nobody else, but this is an example of the new direction.

To win this club must be fair but ruthless. The guys delisted were given ample opportunities to impress.

Sadly they were not good enough, but now the club must open the doors to new prospects. B)

[praha 11,253]

Newton returns. He is another Nick Smith. He has just one more chance, surely?

[rpfc 28,893]

Wasn't sure which way the club would go with Newton, but the rest were no brainers for me.

Ironically, Newton's saving grace was that he wasn't on the list - that he was a rookie.

So what saved him from being delisted, is that he was already delisted.

[Je Roos Salem 661]

It's about time PJ went, McNamara wasn't getting a game so he had to go too. It's good to see that we are putting so much faith in Spencer but I'm not sure whether he can deliver.

[Guest Deefence]

Assuming Hightower's up for a rookie position.... Because what happens when Jamar goes down before we take on Freo? Is Spencer gonna bravely battle Sandilands? Martin? Gawn? Nope.....

T Mac sad to see go, but no suprises there either.

Rookie list was a given.

[stranga 328]

Fair to say we will be drafting a defender with at least one of our picks now that both Cheney and Mcnamarra are gone.

[rpfc 28,893]

Assuming Hightower's up for a rookie position.... Because what happens when Jamar goes down before we take on Freo? Is Spencer gonna bravely battle Sandilands? Martin? Gawn? Nope.....

T Mac sad to see go, but no suprises there either.

Rookie list was a given.

Will PJ do a better job as first ruck than Spencer?

Will he do a better job as back up than a kid?

Will he do a better job as back up than Dunn, or Sylvia?

Answers:

No.

Yes, but who cares it 30 mins you may aswell give to a kid.

Yes, but again, the other 90 minutes is where he has no effect and the other two do.

[JACKATTACK 17]

Will PJ do a better job as first ruck than Spencer?

Answers:

No.

I guess the Football department agrees with you, but I just don't see it.

[dees189227 12,453]

Who do we have as a backup ruckman if Jamar goes down. Spencer? Really, at least PJ can ruck. Or Newton. Geez Jamar please dont get injured. I reckon Hughes showed something. if he remained injury free he would be alright in our foward line.

Ok I know Newton is a rookie but we are wasting money on him. Im convinced he has something on the club. Surely its better to get a young kid on there. If you told me he would outlast James McDonald at the club there was noy way I would have believed you. By the way on the club website do not describe him as a versitile big man. The guy has never played a good game for us. he will just be known as the guy that took mark of the year against north. Im just not a fan. Are we stuck with him for another 2 years now?

Its intersting that they have put Cameron Bruce on the list. Maybe he has signed or will do so soon.

[John Crow Batty 8,880]

I would have preffered Johnson to stick around at least one more year as insurance.

[Guest Rojik of the Arctic]

Does this mean Bruce is going to stay a Demon?

[satyricon 267]

Fair to say we will be drafting a defender with at least one of our picks now that both Cheney and Mcnamarra are gone.

We have Bail, Bartram, Bennell, Bruce, Frawley, Garland, Rivers, Martin, Warnock, MacDonald, Morton, Strauss, Newton, Grimes who have either played or can play in defence....I think our drafting will be whoever is the best player available at the pick.....the only one I think they will really concentrate on is 12.......and I personally think that will be a forward of some sort

[jnrmac 20,271]

Juice will back up in the ruck. No worse than PJ. Upside?? Prob not after this long but he is a bit more versatile. I see they played him down back in Shanghai.....

[Dees of 26 15]

Will PJ go on the rookie list?

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

Contentious... I think he'll get picked up somewhere, but as a club we should get used to the fact that players some of us would like to keep are going to be squeezed out. Only Green and Bruce will be leaving in the next 4 years for sure... and even then Green could be one of these evergreen (pardon the pun) players.

There's going to be a lot of kids moved on over 2011-2014. Gonna be some tough decisions.

[old55 23,833]

Happy with that outcome, as rpfc says:

- Delist PJ and TMac get ND picks 49 and 52

- Delist Newton get Rookie pick 90 or something

They're different decisions.

We need a mature age ruckman somewhere in our 9 picks as depth if Jamar and Spencer are unavailable. Can be a rookie pick.

I don't think Newtion is primary ruck depth he's fwd-2nd ruck, it's a different role. Fitzy and Gawn not ready for primary ruck. Martin - who knows? Ultimately if PJ is still there in the rookie draft and he's best available ruckman we can take him. Same goes for TMac - if he's best available at an RD pick we should pick him.

[Rogue 585]

Predictable decisions along the lines I was thinking.

Wasn't sure whether we'd think TMac was better than pick 50-odd, but we can always re-draft him then or in the rookie draft if we want.

Good decision with Newton IMO. As old has said, he's a second ruck/forward option (better than PJ IMO, vying with Martin for now...and Fitz for the future).

[Flying Cloud 152]

Does this mean Bruce is going to stay a Demon?

Last line of the announcements says..

"At this stage, the Demons will have four selections in the November NAB AFL Draft and five picks in the NAB AFL Rookie Draft.At this stage, the Demons will have four selections in the November NAB AFL Draft and five picks in the NAB AFL Rookie Draft."

So could be leaving the gate open.

I for one think we need to keep him, but agree with the club playing hardball.

[1858 285]

All in all I'm pretty happy with this. We give ourselves a legitimate chance of acquiring further prospects in the drafts and we throw down the challenge to some existing players to step up in the process.

I thought PJ may have been kept as insurance but if the club thinks we don't need him (or at least expects to rookie him) then all the better we are. Spencer had a fair few critics last year but I noticed he has an ability to get over a pack and uses his weight well in crashing them - couldn't be any worse than PJ as a tall/ruck. Even Martin now has a chance to make an impact.

In any case we're down to 20 days to the national draft now.